“Song of Ourselves,” a day of programs presented by the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, will not only entertain guests, but also stimulate dialogue on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion across the school.
Dozens of UCLA faculty, students, and guest performers and scholars will be featured at pop-up performances, concerts of Western classical music, a world music showcase and at presentations by ethnomusicologists and musicologists. At an evening concert, “Dinkinesh: You are Marvelous,” singer-songwriter Eva B. Ross, a UCLA alumna and the 2017 winner of Spring Sing, will perform, as will the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA Ensemble and Superdevoiche, the UCLA Balkan women’s choir.
The event begins at 12 p.m. on Thursday, May 3, and will take place at locations across the UCLA campus. All programs are free and open to the public.
► Watch Eva B. Ross perform at UCLA Spring Sing
“‘Song of Ourselves’ is intended to celebrate the school’s diversity of musical expression and scholarship, provide opportunities for further education and share information to advance these essential goals,” said Juliana Gondek, the music school’s associate dean of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a UCLA distinguished professor of voice.
Judith Smith, the school’s dean, added, “‘Song of Ourselves’ also gives us the opportunity to celebrate our students, and their achievements and aspirations.”
The event is sponsored in part by the UCLA Office of the Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, with volunteer support from Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a fraternity that provides service through music at UCLA. The program:
Afternoon concerts
12 – 2 p.m. and 4:30 – 6 p.m., various campus locations
Pop-up concerts in a variety of styles by UCLA student musicians.
12 – 1 p.m., UCLA Music Library
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s sacred masterpiece “Stabat Mater” will be performed by a string quartet with harpsichord and two vocal soloists. Refreshments will be served.
Breakout sessions, Schoenberg Music Building
Lectures, videos, Q&As, presentations and panels on an array of topics addressing the intersection of music and diversity.
1:30 – 2:10 p.m.
Professor Cheryl Keyes and UCLA saxophonist and composer Hitomi Oba present “Women and the Jazz Narrative: The Los Angeles Scene,” and alumnus Ethan Braun presents “A Voice, an Ear, a Hand, a Pen,” which details the development of a composition pedagogy for public school students that deviates from conventional European classical music norms.
2:15 – 2:55 p.m.
A screening of “Inside Jennifer Leitham: A Jazz Giant’s Journey through Mid-career Gender Transition,” followed by Q&A with Jennifer Leitham and Distinguished Professor Juliana Gondek, as well as “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Classical Music Institutions: The Case of the Orchestra,” with guest panelist Ayden Adler, a professional horn player, orchestral administrator, author, educator and dean, in conversation with Robert Fink, professor of musicology.
3:00 – 3:40 p.m.
Professors Ray Knapp, Elizabeth Upton, Robert Fink and musicology students discuss how teaching difficult topics can matter outside the classroom bubble.
3:45 – 4:25 p.m.
Professor Elisabeth LeGuin and lecturer Sukha Gildart guide participants in “Bodies in Harmony,” a movement clinic in which participants can explore their connection to music and community.
World music showcase
6:30 – 7:30 p.m., UCLA Music Library
The music library presents a series of ethnomusicology performance ensembles: the Near East Ensemble directed by A.J. Racy, Music of Thailand Ensemble directed by Supeena Adler, Music of Mexico Ensemble directed by Jesús Guzmán and UCLA Klezmer Ensemble directed by Mark Kligman.
“Dinkinesh: You are Marvelous”
Doors 7:30 p.m., concert 8 p.m., Schoenberg Hall
Singer-songwriter Eva B. Ross, UCLA alumna and the winner of UCLA Spring Sing 2017, will perform, along with the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz Performance Ensemble at UCLA and Superdevoiche, the UCLA Balkan Women’s Choir. RSVP for priority seating.
Visit the School of Music calendar for more program information.